Title: Fairy TalesFandom: In Plain SightCharacters: Marshall Mann, Mary ShannonRating: PGWord Count: 427Warnings/Spoilers: None -- well, you have to know what happened to Mary at the end of the series.Disclaimer: Fanfic, for fun, not profit.Notes: The fourth of five fics written for a tv_universe where we were challenged to write about 'monsters'.

Fairy Tales

"What the hell kind of crap are you reading to my daughter, Marshal?" A book, tossed from halfway across the room, landed with a loud bang on Marshal's desk. Papers scattered onto the floor and everyone in the office jumped, except Marshall.

“That's the problem! She likes them a little too much. Last night we were watching Cinderella together," here Mary paused a moment to glare around the room, daring anyone to comment on her choice of movie, "and she complained that it didn't have the step-sisters cutting off their toes like they do in the book!”

“That is the original version, Mary.” Marshall’s explanation was ignored, as it was obvious Mary had more to say.

“Don’t even get me started on Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid. I can’t put in a Disney movie without her complaining it’s not right and going into great, gory detail what is wrong with each one.” Mary took a couple steps closer and focused all of her considerable ire on Marshall. “When Nora starts having nightmares about monsters, guess whose door I’m going to be knocking on at five in the morning.”

Marshall didn’t blink. “Fairy tales don't tell children that dragons exist; children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed.”

Mary just stared at him.

"It's a quote, by G.K. Chesterton." He sighed, and then continued. "She's your daughter, Mary. Look at what you do every day. No matter how you try to keep it from her, she's going to know that dragons exist. I just think that she should know that they can be killed, too."

Mary held his gaze for a long, silent ten seconds, and then shook her head.

"You're such a girl, Marshall. That alone should be reason enough from me to ban you from ever seeing my daughter again." She sighed and picked the book off the desk. "Just go a little easy, okay? I'd like to be able to watch at least one Disney movie with her. How 'bout we declare Hercules off limits?"

"Hercules isn't a fairy tale, it's Greek mythology." He frowned. "Greek mythology that they get completely wrong. You realize, of course, that Hera wasn't--"

"Marshall." Mary's low growl of warning cut him off.

He smiled and held up his hands. "Alright, she'll not hear it from me. I'll let public education teach her about Greek mythology."

"With any luck," Mary said, "she'll be asleep in the back of the class. Just like I was."